Golden Lion

When I read your Sept. 9 article about the renovation of Montecito's Miramar Hotel, I recalled the summer of 1945, when I stayed there for 10 days while recuperating from the Battle of the Bulge in Europe, 1944-45, the German prisoner-of-war camp near Hanover, Germany, and the miserable conditions of the prison camp. What a great hotel--midnight snacks, buffet-type dining tables, stocked refrigerators, swimming pool, ocean beaches, nearby Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. I had been a member of the American 106th Golden Lion Infantry Division in Europe.

Takeshi Kitano's "Hana-Bi," a Japanese film of life, death and violence, won the coveted Golden Lion award for best picture at the Venice film festival Saturday. The film, with very little dialogue, tells the story of a detective, played by Kitano, and the problems that start when he visits his wife in the hospital instead of accompanying his partner and friend on a stakeout.

Conceptual artist Barbara Kruger will receive this year's Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 51st annual Venice Biennale. On display during the international exhibition, which opens June 12 and runs through November, will be Kruger's large-scale installation "Untitled (Facade)," which will cover a wall of the Italian Pavilion with Kruger's trademark combination of slogans, text and images, in this case using the colors of the Italian flag.

A previously unknown species of monkey with a lion-like head and a striking gold and black coat has been found on the island of Superagui, south of the city of Sao Paulo, in one of Brazil's most populous regions, researchers reported last week. The black-faced lion tamarin, as the new monkey is called, is a golden squirrel-sized monkey with black face, forearms and tail. It is only the fourth species of lion tamarin known.

Here's a feat of artistic alchemy: UCLA architecture professor Greg Lynn has turned yellow plastic toy ducks into a Golden Lion -- which is what they call the awards handed out at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Applying computer design technology and advanced fabrication techniques to the ducks and other colorful playthings, Lynn created "Recycled Toys Furniture," a series of sculpture-like pieces that won for best installation project. The theme of this year's Venice show was "Out There: Architecture Beyond Building," meaning work applying architectural principles to creations other than buildings.

An Iranian film about the tough life women face in that Islamic country took the top prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. "The Circle" (Dayereh), which won the Golden Lion award, was a popular favorite after it was screened at the festival, which began Aug. 30. It is 40-year-old director Jafar Panahi's third feature film. His 1995 "The White Balloon" (Badkonake Sefid) and 1997 "The Mirror" (Ayneh) have won several international awards.

The 58th edition of the world's oldest film festival got off to a blood-spattered start this week. Then came the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Day One of the Venice Film Festival included South Korean director Kim Ki-Duk's latest gore-fest, "Address Unknown" (Soochwieen Boolmyung),and "Dust," which is billed as a Balkan western. Many festival veterans believed "Address Unknown" might be better left unseen.

Like a proud parent, the Los Angeles Zoo is showing off its babies. The new arrivals include a golden lion tamarin, a white-cheeked gibbon, a mountain tapir, a sifaka and giant eland brothers. Most of the babies were bred and born on display. "It's a good educational tool for the public," said Michael Dee, the zoo's general curator. Except for watching closely for any signs of illness, curators don't interfere with the mothers' raising of their young.